MANILA, Philippines - Former Special Action Force chief Director Getulio Napeñas merely followed orders from former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima in the mission to capture terrorists hiding in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last January, his lawyer said yesterday.
Vitaliano Aguirre III maintained Napeñas has a sterling record in his 37 years in the police service, and retired on July 18 without pending cases.
He said Napeñas was never engaged in any controversy like the bloody clashes in Mamasapano.
“Up to now, we maintain General Napeñas did not commit grave misconduct nor neglect of duty. He and SAF men were given an order and the mission was successful,” Aguirre told The STAR.
“General Napeñas took orders from Purisima, who in turn took orders from the President, thus no neglect of duty nor grave misconduct on the part of General Napeñas since the mission succeeded to capture Marwan,” he added, referring to slain Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, the target of the operation in Mamasapano.
A total of 60 people, including 44 SAF policemen, were killed in the firefight with Muslim rebels in Mamasapano last Jan. 25.
The slain policemen were part of a SAF operation to capture Marwan and other terrorists hiding in a remote village in Mamasapano.
The police operation went awry after the SAF commandos figured in a firefight with Muslim rebels on their way out of the area.
Napeñas was ordered relieved in the wake of the controversy caused by the incident.
The Office of the Ombudsman on Wednesday announced the recommendation of the special panel of field investigators to initiate administrative adjudication and preliminary investigation against Purisima, Napeñas and nine other police officers.
The ombudsman panel, however, did not find President Aquino criminally liable for the incident.